There's a strange little ache that creeps up when you hear The Last Guardian is being lined up for a film. Not excitement exactly, not dread either—more like the queasy curiosity you feel when someone announces they're adapting a dream. Because that's what Ueda's 2016 PlayStation 4 release felt like: an unsteady, half-lit dream you weren't sure would hold together until the very last leap.
According to insider DanielRPK, Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions are setting their sights on Fumito Ueda's cult classic. No director yet, no casting, not even a whiff of a production start. Just the whisper that it's happening. And honestly? That's enough to stir the pot.
If you ever played it, you'll remember Trico—half dog, half bird, all heartache—stumbling through collapsing ruins with a nameless boy clinging to his feathers. It wasn't just a game about puzzles or platforms. It was about trust. Frustration. The way companionship can feel both suffocating and life-saving. Gorgeous. Grating. Gorgeous again.
Ueda, of course, is the mind behind Ico (2001) and Shadow of the Colossus (2005)—both works that redefined what video games could be in terms of visual poetry and emotional weight. The Last Guardian wasn't hailed quite as loudly, but still managed a strong 82/100 on Metacritic. Enough to carve out its own mythology. Enough to stick under your skin.
And now PlayStation Productions is pushing harder than ever into adaptation territory. We've seen Twisted Metal (its second season is airing now), the Until Dawn film (earlier this year), and HBO's juggernaut The Last of Us already confirmed for a third season set to shoot early 2026. Add to that the pipeline: God of War (series), Horizon: Zero Dawn (film), Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone, Helldivers, Gravity Rush, and yes—an Uncharted sequel. It's a machine now, not an experiment. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have tracked this steady march of IP-to-screen, and each step carries both promise and peril.
The question: what happens when you strip away the act of playing Ueda's world and turn it into a passive watch? Can you bottle that aching bond, the maddening AI of Trico, the way you screamed at your TV and then apologized to a digital creature seconds later? I'm not sure. Maybe that's the point. Maybe it can't be replicated.
But here's the thing—I'll watch. Most of us will. Because The Last Guardian left behind something stubborn. A memory you didn't ask for but still carry. If a film can spark even a fraction of that strange companionship, maybe it's worth the risk.
What You Should Know About “The Last Guardian” Film Move
Cult status matters
The game may not have been flawless, but it carved out a fiercely loyal fanbase thanks to its emotional core.
PlayStation Productions is all-in
From Twisted Metal to The Last of Us, Sony's adaptation pipeline is swelling. The Last Guardian is part of a bigger industrial push.
Fumito Ueda's shadow looms large
With Ico and Shadow of the Colossus on his résumé, Ueda's work carries prestige—any adaptation will be measured against that artistry.
Risk of losing the “play” factor
The original's magic lay in interactivity—commands, frustration, breakthroughs. Translating that to film could flatten the experience.
Early days, nothing locked
No release date, no creative team announced. For now, it's just the spark of a project, but sparks have a way of spreading fast in Hollywood.
